A wide variety of training devices are available to the golf enthusiast. Those not suitable for putting include U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,054, which comprises a rod attached to a golf club shaft which contacts the forearms the golfer during an improperly executed swing, thus advising of the error U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,204 discloses an elongated extension removably attached no the handle of the club. As the golfer performs a backstroke, forward stroke and follow-through simulating the striking of a ball, the extension indicates if the stroke is "correct." U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,901 includes a harness assembly attachable to the upper portion of a person's body and an elongated tubular golf swing guiding member coupled to the harness and attached to the handle of the club, which permits a golfer to achieve a proper swing by avoiding undesired bending of the front elbow. A multi-use golf training device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,926, which includes a weighted base and an upstanding flute guidepost with a positioning bar. By setting the positioning bar in one of a plurality of positions relative to the user, proper body positions and swing motions can be reinforced, thus improving a user's stance and wring during actual play.
With specific regard to putting, many experts now agree that the ideal stroke is a "pendulum" swing initiated at the shoulders with the wrists locked about the handle of the club. Many the training devices accordingly operate to enforce this pendulum movement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,244 discloses a specialized putter consisting of two shafts in spaced-apart parallel relation and pivotally attached, one having a lower ground-engaging member and the other having a putter head, enabling the user to hold one shaft steady while pivoting the other in a pendulum motion. This is not a training device, however, but rather, a specialized putter which operates at 90 degrees conventional clubs, that is, the stroke is forward and away from the golfer as opposed to being from side to side.
More recent putter training and practice devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,240, which provides a specially constructed putter in a stroke guide worn at the user's waist wherein a pivot point is created, rather than at the shoulders. U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,071 includes an extension attachable to the putter grip and a guide attachable to the waist of a golfer having a narrow horizontal slot to receive a tab on the extension. In one embodiment, the pivot point for pendulum action may be moved up from the waist to the chest area. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,156,401 and 5,328,185 also teach elongated putters which extend roughly from the chest area down to the golf club head. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,401, the upper end includes a cross piece which abuts the user's chest and has end portions which extend under the user's arms to promote and maintain good stance by maintaining a constant triangular shape defined by the user's shoulders and hands. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,185, one hand is used to grip the upper end of an elongated putter in the shaft area, while the other hand grips the club midway, using either a small protruding extension or a U-shaped handle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,055 includes an elongated rod having a neck-engaging mender and a quick release connector for attaching the rod to the head of the putter. The length of the rod is adjustable and defines the radius of the arc of motion of the club relative to the golfer so that the swing is constrained in a precisely defined path to teach the golfer a repetitive stroke.
All of the devices just described present drawbacks, however, either concerning the manner in which they are used, or their design complicates transport. More specifically, if the training aid is very long and not subject to dismantling, it is awkward to carry, especially in a conventional golf bag. Also, if the device requires a modified club, it may force the user's hands into an unnatural or uncomfortable position. If the grip departs in even a minor way from that of a standard club, many golfers will be uncomfortable with the arrangement.
Another difficulty with a dedicated training device is that the golfer may be forced to use a club exclusively for practice, and a totally different style club exclusively for play. With specific regard to putters, golfers are very finicky about their favorite club, and forcing the enthusiast to practice with a different style device with an unfamiliar grip presents a severe shortcoming. Thus there remains a need for a training device which teaches the pendulum swing yet enables the golfer's wrist and hand to be effectively locked during the stroke. At the same time, it is desirable to provide these benefits without limiting the golfer's choice of putting style or grip technique. An easily portable means of providing this training would result in an even more advantageous configuration.